Ranking Member Cohen to Cosponsor Legislation to Stop President Trump’s Unconstitutional Executive Order on Immigration

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, will join other members of the House Judiciary Committee and colleagues in the House of Representatives in cosponsoring the Statue of Liberty Values (SOLVE) Act. This legislation would prohibit the use of federal funds to implement President Donald Trump's executive order barring Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspending all refugee admissions for 120 days and blocking citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, refugees or otherwise, from entering the United States for 90 days: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

"I will be joining my colleagues in cosponsoring legislation to overturn President Trump's unconstitutional executive order," said Congressman Cohen. "We do not have religious tests in this country. That is a clear violation of the first amendment. When we start detaining foreign nationals who have risked their lives to assist our military, we are making our troops abroad and our nation less safe. This hasty and unsound executive order will provide ISIS with additional propaganda to use against the United States. The order also singles out a small number of countries, but ignores others like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt from which individuals have been linked to actual terror attacks inside the U.S.

Everyone agrees that we should screen refugees to ensure that no one intent on doing harm is allowed into our country. That's why it currently takes up to two years for applicants to be fully screened, and I support this screening process. But if the Administration is serious about protecting against terrorist attacks, I would encourage it to start by supporting of legislation to prohibit individuals who are already in the United States and already considered too dangerous to allow onto an airplane from buying guns and explosives. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the SOLVE Act and make America safe and constitutional again. While I feel extremely confident that Democrats will support the bill, we need Republicans to support it for it to pass. This will be the first major test under the Trump Administration for Republicans to honor their oath of office to protect and defend the constitution and put country over party."